LOCKER-ROOM BLOG

LEWIS: Here to stay

May 12, 2009

Some people think there’s no loyalty in sports, but I’m trying to prove them wrong. I trust our coaching staff, I trust our ownership and I trust everybody in the front office. I feel like I’ve given them everything I have, 100 per cent on the field and off the field. I’ve never been in any trouble off the field. So I’ve never given them any reason to cut me and I figure as long as I’m performing, they shouldn’t cut me or trade me.

My job is to take care what I can take care of and they’ll take care of what they have to take care of. Hopefully, in four or five years when the career is starting to wind down a little bit, they’ll see what I’ve done in the past and my relationship with the team will continue. Which is not to say I’m expecting them to keep me on the team if I’m not performing. I trust management and I trust the fact they will make the right decision for the team. I just hope that it will always involve me being a part of this team.

It makes me think back to when I first joined the Stampeders in 2004. When I first got the call from Matt Dunigan to come to Calgary and I talked to John Jenkins, Dunigan’s offensive co-ordinator, they were saying they needed a go-to guy for their offence. After meeting John Jenkins, I realized he liked smaller receivers who could move and do things besides catching the ball. That’s what I did and that’s what got me here. That’s what’s kept me around.

I love the system we’re running right now. I love the group of guys that we’ve got. You know, me, Cope, Rambo, Joffrey, Hank and Ralphie have been together since 2005. I don’t know of any other team in the league that has had the major parts of its offence together for so long. I’m just happy to be a part of it.

As far as my off-season goes, there was a lot of training and a lot of rehab work. I was working with my trainer, who’s also my cousin, down in the States. He’s a great trainer and he keeps me where I need to be. It’s one-on-one training and working with somebody I’m accustomed to and somebody I’m close with, it allows me to maximize the workout. And if I don’t maximize it, he lets me know.

Health-wise, I’m doing great right now. I did a month, a month-and-a-half of rehab just to strengthen my knee back up and to get everything ready for the pounding of the season. That was the first time in my life I’ve ever had to rehab a certain part of my body for that long. It’s kind of frustrating at times, but we got it strengthened back up. I was doing my full workouts like I did last year and I’m back stronger.

I also got engaged during the off-season and I spent a lot of time with my fiancee down in Texas. I got to see a lot of my family and friends, which is always a great thing for me because I’m a family man.

I’ve got to say, the off-season went by real fast. And I’m glad it did because I’m ready to get back on the field. We had the best record last year because we had the best team. Now we’re going into this year thinking, “Hey, we want to do it again.”

One last thing, I want to thank the people of Calgary for accepting me. It’s been five years now, going on six, and it’s been a good journey so far. They’ve accepted me and I’ve accepted them and I hope they’re happy with me signing to stay here and not giving other teams a chance to sign me. A guy once told me that the definition of commitment is “No other options.” I’ve let my options out the door and I’ve committed to this team.

Nik Lewis, #82
Lewis bio

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